This panel, the National Review Board, was never a watchdog. And it quickly became a lap dog. Once filled with people who had independent jobs, it's now largely stacked with people who depend on the church for paychecks (directly and indirectly). Once filled with high profile, somewhat outspoken people, it's now filled with low profile and completely silent people. Once filled with somewhat savvy realists, it's now largely filled with mostly naive optimists.

Reform of the Catholic hierarchy's response to clergy abuse and cover ups, if it ever happens, will come thanks to external sources, not internal sources, and thanks to victims, police, prosecutors, journalists and advocates, and in spite of bishops and their carefully-chosen and cowardly appointees.

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 25 years and have more than 18,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

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One of the members of the National Review Board is Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala Jr., is a not-so-worthy advocate for clergy sex abuse victims. His brother Gregory Zappala is the owner of the private detention centers in the infamous Kids for Cash scandal. Over $2.7 million in kickbacks was paid to two Luzerne County judges in exchange for sending juveniles to the private detention centers without representation by attorneys and proceedings lasting less than a minute. In other words, the judges filled the private detention centers as fast as they could for $2.7 million.
It’s also important to note that the Zappala Family has ties to the Sicilian mob going back over 100 years in blood and marriage. DA Zappala was nothing less than an enforcer for the Roman Coward Bishops. His father Stephen Zappala Sr, a former PA Supreme Court Chief Justice sits on the local diocesan review board for Bishop David Zubik to make sure no victims of clergy sex abuse step forward and dare to seek justice.
For more information visit my blog at http://mikeference.blogspot.com/2014/01/pittsburgh-crime-family-underboss.html
or just google Zappala Crime Family/Terrorist Group.

Lani Halter commented
2014-06-12 15:53:58 -0500

Yes. I agree with you, Mrs. Dorris. As difficult as it is for me to comprehend how any non-pedophile could either actively publicly (as in the case of some popes and cardinals) or covertly in a non-public way, “support” and enable ANY pedophile in his or her crimes, I do think that this ongoing quarter century old battle has shown that as you say, it will be victims, police, prosecutors, journalists and advocates who (I hope and pray) will someday soon, MAKE AN END TO THISHORRIBLESCOURGEANDTHESEHEINOUSCRIMESAGAINSTHUMANITYTHATARE to this day, part and parcel of the UNIVERSAL (global) CATHOLIC church.